Folding table and seat construction



Sept. 28, 1954 F. A. HOLICK FOLDING TABLE AND SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 20, 1951 -3 FIG. 1

v 465%, FIG? 27 45 50 VEN TOR FRANK A. HOL/CK Patented Sept. 28, 1954 FOLDING TABLE AND SEAT CONSTRUCTION Frank A. Holick, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 20, 1951, Serial No. 262,561

12 Claims.

l The present invention relates to folding furniture and more particularly to folding table and seat structures.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved portable folding table and seat structure adapted for various uses, such as for serving P lunches in school houses and halls, and of such construction as to be quickly folded and unfolded, the device being held firmly in erected position, and when folded or collapsed being movable out of the way and occupying but little space.

Another object of the invention is' to provide a combined folding table and seat structure which is of strong, light and durable construction containing but few relatively moving parts, and which can be inexpensively manufactured and easily assembled.

A further object of the invention is to perfect details of construction generally.

The invention further consistsin the. several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combined table and seat structure of .the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 isa bottom view of the device in'folded condition;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device in folded condition;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of one of the pivoted braces for the device, as it appears when the device is in folded condition;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the brace engaging an abutment or keeper plate at the underside of the tabletop, the view being taken on the line 1-'! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the abutment or keeper plate, and

Fig. 9 is a top view of a modified form of device. I

In the drawings, I designates a rectangular table top here shown to include side and end rails H and I2, a pair of intermediate rails l3, a top panel l4, and a bottom panel connecting the intermediate rails. The table top further includes filler blocks or plates l6 between each side rail and the adjacent intermediate rail, and one or more filler blocks or plates I1 between the intermediate rails. The table top may be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood -or metal.

The table top is carried on a pair of spaced supporting frames or leg frames l8 which are normally vertical and parallel and are preferably constructed of metal tubing. The leg frames extend transversely of the table top and include respective horizontal top bars [9 which are shorter than the width of the table top and are spaced inwardly from the opposite ends of the table top. The top bars I9 are pivotally secured to the underside of; the table top by bearing members 20 receiving the cylindrical end portions of the top bars,.the bearing members being attached to'the filler plates I6 of the table top, as by screws 2 l and having end flanges 22 which axially confine'the top bars. Each leg frame further includes a horizontal cross bar 23 which extends beyond-each side of the table top andis rigidly connected in parallel relation to the top bar 19 by a pair. of spaced vertical struts 24 welded to these bars. Near its opposite ends each cross bar 23 has legs comprising vertical legbars 25,'the upper ends of the leg bars being welded 'to the cross bar and the lower ends .of the leg bars being provided with gliders 26. Each leg includes a reinforcing bar 21 which has its upper end welded. to the cross bar 23 at a point spaced inwardly from the leg bar, the lower end of the reinforcing bar being welded to the leg bar. At its middle portion each leg frame cross .bar 23 is provided with a pair of spaced downwardly projecting ears 28 connected by a pivot rod 29 extending parallel to the bar. A tubular brace bar 30 has one end welded to a hub portion or sleeve 3| which is pivotally mounted on the pivot rod 29 and axially confined by the cars 23. A reinforcing bar 32 has one end welded to the sleeve and the other end welded to the brace bar at a distance from the sleeve. In its normal position, each pivoted brace bar 30 extends diagonally upward'in the space between the leg frames and is urged in upward direction by a coiled torsion spring 33 surrounding the hub 3! of the brace bar. Asquare plate 34 is welded to the free end of each brace bar to form a hook or flange extending at right angles to the brace bar. Abutment or keeper plates 35, such as of sheet metal, are secured to the undersides of the filler blocks ll of the table top, as by screws 36. Each plate has an opening or recess 31 including notches 38 at opposite sides to receive the opposite edges of the flange-forming end plate 34 .of the corresponding brace bar 30, and the block I '1 has a clearance recess 39, Fig. 7, forthe end plate. With the brace bars 30 thus locked against movement, the leg frames l8 will firmly support the table top in its erected position.

A pair of elongated rectangular seats or benches 40 are arranged at opposite sides of the table top in parallel relation thereto and are supported on the cylindrical end portions of the leg frame cross bars 23. Each seat includes side rails 4i and 42, end rails 43 and a top panel 44, the seat having approximately the same length and depth as the table top. The seat side rails rest on the cross bars 23, and parallel metal guide bars 45 and 46 are secured, as by screws 41, to the undersides of the seat rails and form therewith parallel guide slots 48 and 49 slidably receiving the cylindrical end portions of the cross bars. Each leg bar 25 and its reinforcing bar 21 are disposed between the associated parallel guide bars 45 and 46. Each outer guide bar 45 has at its outer side a longitudinally extending flange or wall 59 which is adapted to bear against the adjacent outer end of the associated cross bar 23, and each leg reinforcing bar 21 has a wear portion Fig. 3, adapted to bear against the adjacent edge of the inner guidebar 46, thus confining the seat against transverse shifting. If desired, the wear portion 51 may be omitted. Each guide bar 49 is here shown to be provided with a longitudinally extending reinforcing strip 52.

At least one of the seats 40 is provided near opposite ends with a pair of rollers 53 which are mounted on pintles 54 secured to the outer side rail 4| of the seat at right angles to the plane. of the seat. The rollers are disposed in recesses 55 formed in the seat rail and project slightly from the outer edge of the rail so as to permit the device, when folded and disposed in a vertical position, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, to be rolled along the floor. The device is retained in folded position in any suitable manner, as by a turn button 56 secured to the underside of one of the side rails of the table top.

In the erected position of the device, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the leg frames 18 are vertical and the flanged upper ends of the spring-urged brace bars 30 are engaged and held in the notched abutment plates 35. The end portions of the leg frame cross bars 23 are at or near the outer ends of the guide slots 48 and 49 at the undersides of the seats, thus preventing or minimizing longitudinal shifting of the horizontal seats with respect to the horizontal table top.

When the device is to be folded or collapsed, the flanged upper ends of the spring-urged brace bars 30 are manually released from the abutment plates 35, and the leg frames 18 are successively or simultaneously swung toward each other to a position adjacent and parallel to the underside of the table top, as seen in Fig. 4. In ths manipulation the flange-forming end plates 34 of the brace bars 30 slide along the underside of the table top, and the outer end portions of the leg frame cross bars 23 slide along the guide slots 48 and 49 of the seats, causing the seats to be brought into the plane of the table top and adjacent to the opposite side edges of the table top. The seats are then confined in their folded position by the turn button 56. In the folded position of the device, the outer end portions of the leg frame cross bars 23 are at or near the inner ends of the guide slots 48 and 49, thus preventing or minimizing longitudinal shifting of the seats with respect to the table top. .Simultaneously with the folding operation, the device is swung to the vertical position seen in Fig. 5, so that it may be rolled along the floor and rested against a wall or other support where it is out of the way and occupies but little floor space.

When the device is to be unfolded, the turn button 56 is released, whereupon the spring-urged brace bars 30 will move the leg frames I8 outwardly away from the table top. As the leg frames are moved toward their perpendicular positions with respect to the table top, either manually or under the urge of the torsion springs 33, the end plates 34 of the brace bars will slide along the underside of the table top and finally engage in the notched abutment plates 35, thus retaining the leg frames in their normal positions. In their pivotal movement the leg frames will actuate the seats 49 to their normal positions.

The modified form of device illustrated in Fig. 9 includes a table top I I 0 and a loop-shaped seat I40 operatively connected by foldable supporting frames H8 similar to the frames IS. The seat is adapted to extend about the table top in the plane thereof when the device is folded, and is here shown to be endless to surround the table top. The table top and seat are shown to be of generally rectangular shape, but they may have other shapes, such as square, polygonal or circular.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat having longitudinally extending guide means, supporting frames pivotally secured at their upper portions to said table top and including seat-supporting portions extending under the seat and parallel to the pivotal axes of said frames and engaging said guide means, said frames further including leg portions extending underneath said seat, and releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position, said frames being swingable about their pivotal axes to a folded position adjacent to the underside of the table top, and said seat-supporting portions pivotally and slidably engaging said guide means for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of the table top when said frames are swung to their folded position.

2. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat having longitudinally extending guide means, supporting frames pivotally secured at their upper portions to said table top and including seat-supporting portions extending under the seat and parallel to the pivotal axes of said frames and engaging said guide means, said frames further including leg portions extending underneath said seat, releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position, said frames being swingable about their pivotal axes to a folded position adjacent to the underside of the table top, and said seat-supporting portions pivotally and slidably engaging said guide means for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of the table top when said frames are swung to their folded position, and stop means cooperating with said seat-supporting portions for minimizing shifting of said seat longitudinally of said seat in the erected and folded positions of the structure.

3. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat, a pair of supporting frames having upper portions pivotally secured to said table top, said supporting frames further having seat-supporting portions parallel to said pivot portions and ext d ng under said seat, and said frames including leg portions extending underneath said seat, said seat having slot-forming guide means extending longitudinally thereof and receiving said seat-supporting portions, and releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position, said frames being swingable about said pivot portions to a folded'position adjacent to theunderside of said table top, and said seat-supporting portions being slidable along said slot-forming guide means for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of said table top when said frames are swung to their folded position, said leg portions lying adjacent to the underside of said seat when said frames are in their folded position.

4. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat having guide means extending parallel thereto, supporting frames for said table top and seat each pivotally connected to said table top and each including a seat-supporting portion extending parallel to the pivotal axis and having a pivotal and slidable connection with said guide means, brace bars pivotally secured to said respective frames and swingable upwardly, keeper means secured to said table top and releasably engageable by the upper ends of said brace bars, and spring means urging said brace bars against said keeper means, said frames being foldable to positions adjacent to the underside of said table top, and said seat-supporting portions pivotally and slidably engaging said guide means for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of said table top during the folding of said frames.

5. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat, a plurality of supporting frames having upper portions pivotally secured to said table top, said supporting frames further having seat-supporting portions extending parallel to the pivotal axes of said upper portions and extending under said seat, said seat having guide slots extending longitudinally thereof and receiving said seat-supporting portions, swingable bracing means pivotally secured to said supporting frames and releasably engageabl with said table top for normally holding said frames in upright position, saidbracing means when released being movable to a folded position adjacent to the underside of said table top, and said frames being swingable about said upper portions to a folded position adjacent to the underside of said table top, and said seat-supporting portions pivotally and slidably engaging said guide slots for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of the table top during the folding of said frames.

6. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, a seat having two pairs of laterally spaced guides extending longitudinally of the seat, a pair of supporting frames pivotally secured to said table top and having seat-supporting portions extending parallel to the pivotal axes of said frames and engaging the respective pairs of said guides, each frame having a leg portion extending underneath said seat and disposed between a pair of said laterally spaced guides, and releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position, said frames :being swingable to a folded position adjacent to the underside of said table top, and said seat-supporting portions pivotally and slidably engaging said guides for bringing said seat substantially into the plane of the table top when said frames are swung to their folded position, said leg portions lying adjacent to the underside of said seat when said frames are in their folded position.

7. A folding table and seat structure, having a table top member and a seat member which are foldably connected for movement into substantially the same plane, and roller means carried by said structure at an outer edge thereof 6 for supporting the structure in folded vertical position.

8. A folding table andseat structure, comprising a table top, a pair of seat members disposed at opposiite sides of said table top and below the level of said table top, a pair of spaced supporting frames having upper portionsv pivotally secured to said table top to swing on parallel axes, each frame having aligned seat-supporting portions parallel to said axes and extending beyond the opposite sides of said table top, each seat having slot-forming guides at its lower portion extending longitudinally thereof and pivotally and slidably receiving said seat-supporting portions of the frames, and releasable bracing members pivotally secured to the respective frames and extending diagonally upwardly in the space between said supporting frames, said bracing members having a releasable interengagement with the table top for holding said frames in upright position, said frames being swingable toward each other to a folded position adjacent to the underside of said tabletop, and said seat-supporting portions of said frames being slidable along said seat guides during the folding movement of said frames to bring said seats substantially into the plane of the table top.

9. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top, supporting frames each including a top bar extending under said table top and having a pivotal connection with said table top, said frame further including a cross bar extending below and parallel to said top bar and having opposite end portions projecting beyond opposite sides of said table top, said cross bar end portions having legs, releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position, and seats resting on said cross bar end portions and having longitudinally extending guide means pivotally and slidably engaging said cross bar end portions, said frames being swingable about their pivotal connection with said table top to a folded position adjacent to the underside of said table top, and said cross bar end portions being slid-' able along said guide means for shifting said seats substantially into the plane of the table top during the folding of said frames.

10. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top member, a seat member extending parallel thereto, a pair of supporting frames each having parallel first and second portions extending parallel to the planes of said members, said first portion being pivotally secured to one of said members, and said second portion being pivotally and slidably secured to the other member, said last named member having guide means extending parallel to the plane thereof and receiving said second portions of said frames, and releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position with said table member at a higher elevation than said seat member, said frames being swingable to folded positions adjacent to the undersides of said members and forming actuators slidable along said guide means for shifting said members into substantially the same plane.

11. A folding table and seat structure, comprising a table top'member, a seat member extending parallel thereto, supporting frames of metal tubing for said members, said frames each having parallel first and second shaft portions extending parallel to the planes of said members, said first shaft portion of each frame being pivotally secured to one of said members, and said second shaft portion of each frame being pivotally and 7 slidably secured to the other member, said last named member having slot-forming guide means extending parallel to the plane thereof and slidably receiving said second shaft portions, the guide means associated with each second shaft portion extending transversely of said shaft portion, and releasable bracing means for holding said frames in upright position with said table member at a higher elevation than said seat member, said frames being swingable to folded positions adjacent to the undersides of said members, and said second shaft portions being slidable along the associated slot-forming guide means during the folding movement of said frames for relatively shifting said table top member and said seat member into substantially the same plane.

12. A folding tabl'e'and seat structure, comprising a table top member, a loop-shaped seat member extending parallel thereto and extending about said table top member, a pair of supporting frames each having parallel first and second portions extending parallel to the planes of said members, said first portion being pivotally secured to one of said members, andsaid second portion being piv'otally and slidably secured to the other member, said last named member having guide means extending parallel to the plane thereof and receiving said second portions of said frames, and releasable bracing means cooperating with each of said frames and one of said members for holding said frames in upright position with said table member at a higher elevation than said seat members, said frames being swingable to folded positions adjacent to the undersides of said members and forming actuators slidable along said guide means for shifting said members into substantially the same plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,583,247 Aja et a1 Jan. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 598,527 Great Britain Feb. 20, 1940 

